This invention relates to point-of-sale shelf markers and, more precisely, to three-dimensional attention-attracting markers particularly intented for use in grocery, department, and other retail stores.
While many types of three-dimensional markers are known, they often require complex configurations and supports that lead to a relatively high cost to the merchant displaying them. This is particularly true where the eye-catching device is of "mobile" construction. Berry et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,860 discloses a price rail marker made from a single flat sheet. The marker is to be affixed to a shelf at the bottom edge so that the weight of the marker causes it to bend forwardly into an inverted U-shape. The marker is made of resilient material so that small local air currents cause it to oscillate randomly like a "mobile".
But the Berry marker presents distinct problems, especially with respect to cost of implementation. Since the marker is affixed at the bottom and has the top portion bent over essentially 180.degree., both sides of the piece must be printed to obtain full space utilization. Also, since the support member has to be slender while the base and top portions of the marker are wide, the process of cutting or punching out the unitized marker from a single sheet causes a high percentage of that sheet to be wasted. Cutting a unitized marker from a single sheet also means the base and display tag portions must be made of the same material as the support member. Since the base and the display tag do not require the same resiliency as the support member, it is more economical if these parts can be made of cheaper materials such as paper. At the conclusion of the particular promotion in which the Berry marker was used the entire piece has to be removed and either discarded or stored; no part was re-usable. Further, if it is desired to display a plurality of markers from a single base, the Berry design is limited to a horizontal array, since the support member extends from the plane of the top edge of the base portion.